Pokémon Legacy: Book-1 (DISCONTINUED)
by Arkilos
Summary: (An Alternative Universe. Co-op with Marth.) Ash lives a mostly normal life, with normal aspirations, and his mostly normal friend, Riolu...right? Nah, normal's too mainstream, as Ashton Satoshi Ketchum finds out. Life rarely stays normal when you have the power to use your Aura to manipulate the world anyway. Follow Ash as he strives to become a pokemon master.
1. Prologue

**_Pokémon Legacy_**

By Arkilos, Marth, and Lux Contritum(Beta)

* * *

April 1st, 1997. The wind howled, shaking the forest. Rain poured down from the heavens, fast and furious. Hardly anything was visible, except a tall building, encircled by 10-metre high walls. There was naught but one entrance in and out of the building, a large iron-wrought gate, guarded constantly by a pair of sentries that rotated every 12 hours. And the owners of the building? Why, none other than the infamous Team Rocket.

Crouched in the bushes at the edge of forest, was a lone man, his face covered by the shadows and the weather. The only thing that kept him from freezing in the rain was a large grey trench coat which hung loosely on his wiry frame. Unfortunately for the sentries, they had no such defence against the elements. They were tired, cold and rather hungry, an understandable consequence of having been on duty for the past 11 hours. The heavy rifles slung low over their shoulders had begun to feel like lead, weighing them down.

"How long till we are done standing in this godforsaken weather? I want to get back to the toasty changing room. It's freezing out here." Sentry One bitterly asked, pulling his uniform collar closer to himself for warmth.

" Cheer up mate, it's almost over, only an hour left out here. I'll cook you a bowl of noodles later, alright?" Sentry Two cheerfully replied.

"Thanks mate, you're the best friend any guy could have." Sentry One replied gratefully.

Distracted, the two sentries failed to notice the lone man as he crept closer to them, his movement hidden by the forest. As they continued to chatter, the man crept up behind Sentry One. His dagger appeared in his hand, slicing a sickly smile across the throat of the unfortunate sentry. The sentry gurgled, choking on his blood.

Next to him, Sentry Two continued speaking, still oblivious. Just then, a dagger sprouted out of his chest, having been thrown by the man. Piercing his heart, he was struck dead instantly.

Waving his hand in a "come hither" gesture, the man signalled to his companion to come out of hiding. His companion obliged, stepping out of the forest. He, or it, was a blue jackal, its lithe blue form giving it a certain elegance in its movement.

 _ **"You could've left one of them for me, Master."**_ The figure spoke, his words appearing in the man's mind.

He sighed in exasperation, replying rather stoically, "Let's focus at the task at hand, Lucario."

The two of them dragged the dead men into the shrouded forest, draping them in man then stripped the uniform off one of the guards, preparing to do it himself.

"Argh, the dirty little bugger didn't wear underpants."

Lucario cheekily replied, **_"Did he leave you any little brown presents?"_** Refusing to dignify the question with an answer, the man checked the pants before shrugging them on hurriedly. He strode over to the gate, pretending to keep watch. Lucario stood to the side, hidden by the forest, watching for any signs of danger.

After a lengthy period of time, waiting in the wind and rain, two new guards and a senior officer appeared, opening the gates.

"Where is your partner,Soldier ?! There are supposed to be two guards on duty at all times!" The officer demanded, his breath steaming in the cold air. He seemed furious, if his tone was any indication.

"Sir! My partner noticed a disturbance in the forest and left post to check it out, Sir!

"Very well soldier, you're relieved of your post, return to your bunk."

"Yes sir!" The man replied with a salute.

Moving behind them, the man ambushed the unsuspecting officer from behind, thrusting the dagger roughly into the small of his back. At the same time, Lucario jumped out of the bushes. Having gathered his energy beforehand, he shot two quick Aura Spheres at the men, who were too slow to react. As they dropped to the ground, Lucario strode over to his master.

With the three men disposed of, they quickly made their way inside the complex.

"You know what to do Lucario, kill any soldiers or men you encounter, but always remain hidden. When you're done, give this to Professor Oak, and tell my wife that I'll miss her. I left my bank account in her name."

 _ **"Master… what are you… why would you…"**_ Lucario's crimson eyes widened in realization. ** _"Master! Don't!"_**

The man paused in his footsteps, turning to face his loyal companion.

"Lucario, this battle has gone on long enough. If the planes, weapons, and officers remain, then Team Rocket will just rebuild itself all over again. It is paramount that you destroy the weapons depot while I sever the head. The hydra shall never be able to rise again. Now, GO! Leave me to my final task."

The man turned and continued on his way. Just as he entered the inner sanctum of the building, he heard a series of explosions, buildings rumbling as they collapsed. He smiled wryly. Lucario was definitely doing his duty. As he approached the structure's core, he killed all he met, making sure his presence was well known.

However, hushed voices caused him to stop.

"We need to get out of here while everyone else in the base is distracted." a high childish voice said.

"What about the Pokémon that they are experimenting on?" another asked, "We can't leave it here, the scientists will kill it."

 _"Well this complicates the matter, We are not here to kill innocent children- they must be amongst the many who were kidnapped over the years._

 _Lucario… do you hear my thoughts?"_ The man asked in his mind.

Lucario pleaded with his master. ** _"Yes master. But must you go through with this? I understand that the war needs to end now, but must it be this way."_**

 _"I'm sorry my friend, but this is the only way. My brother is a madman. His cruelty knows no bounds. He must be stopped at all costs, and if I die to stop him, so be it. Live your life Lucario, and may it be long, my friend. There are children here. Save them and return them to their parents. Do it for me."_

Upon reaching the lab, he severed his mental connection with Lucario. Swiftly gunning down the "scientists", he ran to the centre of the lab, freeing the trapped newborn Pikachu. It was genetically altered to be more powerful than others if the information in the monitors are to be believed.

Keeping the Pikachu close to him, he dropped by the two children who were busy planning their escape.

"Ahh! Don't kill us, we'll do whatever you say sir!" One of the kids yelped, frightened out of his wits, whilst he trying to protect the other."

Crouching down to face them, the man said."I'm not here to kill you! What are your names?"

"My name is James." Muttered the boy with purple hair and Team-Rocket Trainee uniform. He was holding a protective stance with the shivering girl behind him.

"Uhh… my name is Jessie sir… Please don't hurt us!" The second child replied quietly. She was a young red haired girl who seemed younger than the boy.

The man sighed. "Look, I'm not here to kill or hurt you. I need you to take this Pikachu and run away from here. You'll meet a Lucario outside. He's my friend and will help you. There is a small town to the south, about three days away. You will find a large building with a windmill, a professor lives there, and he will keep you safe until you can be returned to your parents. Now go!"

With the pikachu handed over to the children, the man continued down the hall. Reaching the reactor core of the Team-Rocket HQ.

Removing his trench coat, the man reveals a vest. Strapped to his chest, were explosives. Lots of explosives. Enough to cause an explosion to take out the entire base, at any rate. With any luck, Lucario should be long gone by now.

One by one, he set up the explosives around the Nuclear core, until all that was left was to press the button.

Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of leather shoes on the concrete tiles, as a man entered the hollow room. "So this war ends where it started all those years ago. I still have the picture of the tree house the three of us built here all those years ago. The area was very different back then.

And you know… I was right all along, Mum and Dad always favored you and Allen above me."

The man snorted, unbelieving "Don't be foolish Giovanni, there was never any favoritism." He jabbed a finger at him, "If you paid attention, instead of wallowing in your ocean of self-pity, you would have realized that we got just as many chores. We also got punished for our wrongdoings. But you chose your path, and I chose mine. And we probably wouldn't be here now if you had gotten out of your room more."

"Doesn't matter much now." The youngest sibling replied bitterly."It all ends now, perhaps we will be closer next time around."

"Maybe, good bye brother… _and I'm sorry my love, take care of our son and may he grow up in a better time_."

With this said, The eldest of the three Ketchum siblings pressed down on the trigger. Ending their lives, and destroying the complex in a maelstrom of flame and debris.

April 1st, 1997. The day Team-Rocket was destroyed. Its chain of command butchered, headquarters brought to ruin, it was never to rise again. Till this day, only pockets of resistance remain, defying authority.

Jessie and James, two of the many kidnapped children, made it to Pallet Town with the aid of Lucario. They met Professor Oak at his research lab, who immediately contacted Kanto regional police, who aided in the locating of parents and subsequent return of their children. As for Lucario, he would never be heard from or seen again, the children having had entered the building alone before anyone else saw him, no one knowing where vanished to.

Fewer knew about the other events that occurred that night, for just as a life was removed from the earth, another was also created. In a small clinic in the middle of Pallet Town, a new mother was giving birth to her first and only son, Ash Satoshi Ketchum. On first sight, it was easy to assume that he was a normal, healthy lad. What was different though, was that upon his birth, he uttered not a single sound. For he was born without vocal cords.

He was born _mute._

Though disheartened and rather saddened, 17 year old Delia Ketchum swore to herself that she would love and take care of her son regardless, though very young for a mother.

The whole event had been an accident admittedly, a lapse in poor judgment on a particularly stressful evening, whilst Delia and the man she loved became much closer. However, no matter how he was conceived, she knew deep in her heart that she would love him regardless.

Delia held Ash in her arms, as the small nuclear explosion lit up the stormy night. Tears fell as she watched, knowing deep in her chest, that something terrible had just happened.

Soon the doctors took baby Ash to a separate room, calming Delia down in the process, and returned to bed, where she remained rather exhausted. Her eyelids drooped down slightly before closing into a deep and restless sleep.

It was three days later when she received the grievous news. The man she loved, Ash's father, was found dead at the bottom of a crater amongst a hazardous, nuclear wasteland at Ground Zero. Delia felt...hollow. Broken. She didn't, no couldn't believe the news. But as she gazed somberly at charred, mangled remains of his corpse, she felt something rushing up inside her. Her knees felt weak and before she knew it, she was on her knees, tears streaking down her face like rivers across a valley, a valley of bones.

For the first day, she felt empty. She moved almost mechanically, her body on autopilot as her mind grieved. The third day, she was mad. Mad at him for leaving her, for leaving behind his child, for breaking his promise to always be by her side. By the fifth, she had accepted it, accepted it but no she would never forget. It would haunt her, hurt her inside. But she had a duty now, a duty to her newborn son.

Delia knew that she had to remain strong, if not for herself, then for her son. She had to feed and care for him. The last few days, the nurses had cared for him as she grieved, but she knew she had to find work, and care for her son. His insurance money would not last her long anyway.

It was easy to assume her parents were just supportive during their daughter's plight, but this was far from the case. As far they were concerned their daughter could suffer alone and die as they no longer cared.

Her parents didn't approve of the man Delia loved, or that her sister also had held a crush on the same man. They members of the social elite and despised Pokémon trainers, and Pokémon alike. As far as they were concerned there was no place for ruffians like that.

So when news came that Delia was expecting a child of said man, and that man had become a champion of the Pokémon league, well you can only imagine the result.

Delia didn't think of her parents, though. Only that she was now a parent of the small child of her own.

As the years passed, Delia slowly started to teach Ash to write. It started with simple ABCs, before moving on to simple words. To teach him to communicate the words were difficult, but she managed it through a combination of hand-gestures, and books. Though it soon became apparent that Ash struggled more with his studies due to Dyslexia, which he inherited from his father

It was an event in Ash's life occurring at age of three which would alter his life forever.

Delia had taken her son to the small park in town.. it was there he meet three and half year old Gary Oak, Professor Oak's grandson. He and his sister, Daisy Oak, had recently moved to Pallet Town, due to their parents' marriage issues. Rather than having their children be stuck in the crossfire, they sent them away to live with Samuel Oak.

Gary Oak wasn't one to be ignored, and was very keen on establishing his presence as being above any of the common folk who lived in the town. He was small, but rather arrogant and often thumbed his nose at the other children, to the consternation of his grandfather and sister. When Gary believed Ash refused to answer him, the truth was that little Ash could not speak to him. "Think you can rise above me!" He yelled as he pushed Ash backwards, Ash landing in a nearby puddle. Before Gary could strike once more, he was stopped by his older sister.

"What are doing!?" She yelled at her younger brother.

It was all too _little_ , too _late_. Ash had fled the situation entirely before his mother had known what had happened.

Ash continued his silent crying. _Why had that kid said those things. Ash only wanted to be a friend to him._ The way he had pushed him into a puddle. It was confusing and it _hurt_.

As Ash was far from paying attention, he didn't _realize_ that he had run straight into the forest surrounding the small town. And he _definitely_ did not he notice the many pairs of eyes that followed him.

Whilst crying, Ash tripped over an overgrown tree root. He soon found himself tumbling and falling quickly down the hill. It wasn't he reached the bottom of the steep hill that he came to a stop.

In the shadows, a single pair of blood red eyes watched as Ash continued to silently shake with tears running down his face, now both physically and emotionally hurt. He found himself in lost in a world foreign to him. The forest was where wild pokémon resided and lived and seldom did any humans come to that part of the forest, the last being many years ago.

Another pair of blood red eyes joined, this pair much taller than the other. The taller of the two closed its eyes and a solitary black paw stretched from the shadows, then as if encouraging the smaller one, it forced it forwards, out of the shadows. The creature was revealed to be a small black and blue puppy-like creature with pointed ears and bumps on its forepaws. The creature opened a telepathic link with Ash. As its Meema had taught it to.

 ** _"Why are you here, Master?"_** The puppy asked in a young feminine voice nervously. She was feeling quite unsure about herself.

 _"I… I'm not your master, I'm lost, I don't know where we are… who are you… are you here to eat me?"_ Ash replied, looking around the dark forest frantically. He didn't know where the voice was coming from.

The creature was confused. _Why would she eat the human?_ Didn't Meema say that this boy was powerful and he was her master?

 ** _"I'm not here to eat you, why would you think that, master? I am Riolu."_** The creature explained as her Meema, a figure that was taller than her with spikes on her chest and the back of her paws, backed away into the shadows.

 ** _"Young one, help for you is underway, know that my pup will be with you on your journey and your life for now on. As none as powerful as you have been seen in many generations…"_** Lucario told him.

"ASH!"

 ** _"I must leave the two of you now. But before I do, I must leave you one final gift…." Lucario's eyes temporarily glowed dark blue, "It's done. Now your life shall be mostly normal until your true gift is needed."_**

"ASH!"

Lucario left just as Ash's eyes started to blur, black dots slowly forming in his vision as the ground seemed to sway and dance, before rushing forwards to meet him.

The last he heard was a familiar distant young voice, sounding not far from his own age. Warmth enveloped his chest...almost as if someone was hugging him. "Oh Arceus!- DAD, I FOUND HIM!- I NEED HELP, H-HE'S UNCONSCIOUS!" Then, his eyes drew close and his world faded to black.

Ash's life would be dramatically different after that day. A bond was formed with perhaps one of the closest friends he would ever gain in his lifetime, and more yet to come.

Deep inside Ash… a being had just been awoken… "Whe… Where am I, I feel, c-cold," A steady rhythmic beating drew the attention of the being as she turned to face it, though she furrowed her brows in confusion. "Who am I? The warmth… I'll follow the warmth."

* * *

 **AN:**

On behalf of the the team, I would like to thank you for spending your time here.

Please remember to review, your thoughts mean **the world** to us.

-Arkilos, Marth, and L.C.


	2. Chapter 1

**Pokémon Legacy**

* * *

 **Chapter- I**

Two years had passed since Ash had come across Riolu, and since then the two had become close friends, and seldom was one seen without the other With Ash closing in on five years old, new friends are just over the horizon.

In the outskirts of the forest surrounding Pallet Town and Route One, a green portal appears…out flies a boy with spiky midnight dark hair, which seemed almost dragon like, two tuffs over his ears looking like ears of a Lopunny, he has a black shirt with a bi-colored delta that had a white fill. He opened his eyes, slitted and blood-red, and they widened from seeing the speed at which he was falling. He took out a piece of paper and his hand glowed blue for a moment. Then, paper disintegrated and he fell a bit slower. However, he was utterly focused on his task, not noticing the branch that his head was about to hit.

"CRACK" A sharp pain blossomed rapidly at the back of his head. Moving his hand there, he felt something wet. Looking at his hand, he saw crimson. Then, his eyes rolled back in his head. And he was still.

Nearby, foresters were working hard to collect lumber for the paper works and construction industries in the next city over. Soon, one of the workers came across the young boy. "Hey! I found a kid over here, he's unconscious and bleeding from his head, someone call a doctor!"

Elsewhere along route one a dark green car travels south through the forest.

"God morgon Katarina, Vi är nästan framme en halvtimme till." A man speaks behind the wheel, just as a girl in the passenger side wakes up, and nods slowly.

The four year old girl is a lovely platinum-blonde. Her eyes are light blue, and her face is naturally pale. She is tall, her height a stunning 1-metre, taller than most children her age in the region. She is simply exquisite, the apple of her father's eye.

The bespectacled man sitting next to her in the driver's seat is her father, 23 years old. He has the same blond hair and bright blue eyes as his daughter. However, Katerina's legs end in stumps at the knees, unlike her father who has both his legs.

Neither of them like talking about what happened to cause her to lose half of her legs "Have you practiced your English." Her father segways the conversation as they round a large corner. "Yes daddy, I have. What is the place we're moving to like?" The father smiled, happy that she has shown some interest.

"It's a nice home, where you can get around easily with few problems. From what I've been told, the town is a great place to live in."

The car slowed down as a small flock of pidgey flew across the road. About half an hour later Katerina and her father catch their first glimpse of Pallet town. A sign reading:

パレットタウンへようこそ

-Welcome to Pallet Town-

In the distance they catch glimpses of the fishing port and ferry terminal, with private boats just to the west of both. Following along the passenger terminal, and fishing docks, is a large market, filled with people mingling about, all surrounded by beautiful pink flowered cherry trees.

Further in, are endless rows of multi storey rowhouses, each one as similar as the one besides it. Towards the center of town sits a memorial near the heart of a second square, surrounded by more cherry trees, a temple, and a school. Encircling it is a multitude of commercial structures, including the town hall and clinic.

Along the heart of the town were the remains of what appeared to be a wooden palisade, half of which looked to be reconstructed recently, with new wood taking the place of the old that had rotted down to the old stonework. Outside of the wall Pallet town was markedly more rural.

Larger single family homes with yards replace the row housing. The area Katerina and her father will be living in.

Parks dot the rural area with children playing with pokémon and each other. Jutting proudly out from a top one of the large hills amongst the family homes is a large, rather reserved manor home, with a windmill attached. Housing none other than the famous Professor Oak.

The car descended down a large hill, through farm fields and rice paddies. They pass a ranch, a pasture filled with Rapidash and Ponyta. Nearby, two Rapidash were out on a track, running laps with riders on their back. The sign in front of the ranch read that it had won multiple major races over the years. In another pasture are a herd of powerful horned Tauros grazing peacefully upon the grass, Katerina quickly taking notice of several out at work on the fields.

After a few minutes the agriculture were replaced by the single family homes with white picket fences and unique gardens surrounding the homes.

Katerina and her father take a sharp turn whilst passing a small playground, with a swing set, sandbox, and children playing. Several more houses down and the dark green car pulls into a driveway, where waiting for them is a mother,her son, and a small black and blue puppy like pokémon with pointed ears. All of them with a warm smile on their faces.

As Katerina's father opens the door and walks out, he is greeted by the brown haired woman, who carries a newspaper. Katerina catches a glimpse of:

* * *

 ** _The Kanto Weekly_**

 _03-31-2001_

 _Reigning Champion announces wishes to travel freely around Kanto region._

 _The reigning champion, Ellen Hilt (winning her position in the 2000, Pokémon league championships) has warmly stated that wishes to continue her travels through organizing to facilitate her wishes this might prove difficult with the numerous responsibilities she carries..._

* * *

Looking towards the adults, Katerina doesn't miss the spark that seems to have ignited between them and she doesn't remember her father being that happy in long while. _(further back than she cares to remember anyway.)_

Katerina then turns her attention to the boy standing next to his mother, Her mood darkens a little at this, remembering she too had a mother once upon a time. The boy has raven black hair, a dark complexion and shimmering chocolate brown eyes. He wears a plain dark blue collared T-shirt, and light brown shorts that go slightly beyond his knees.

Standing in hiding behind the boy's left leg is a small, bipedal black and blue puppy like pokémon with blood red eyes. It's quite short. The pokémon, for a second, looked directly at her, then up to the boy, then back to her. Then it looked between her father and the boy's mother, as if looking for something in their expression.

Focusing elsewhere, Katerina undid her seatbelt,and opened the door a little, reminding her father that she had yet to get out of the car. He places the conversation with the boy's mother on hold as he opened the trunk (or bonnet) of the car to retrieve her wheelchair.

Soon opening the door all the way, Katerina's father parked wheelchair facing the door, before lift his daughter out if the car and into her chair. Katerina's view is then promptly sun around so she is facing the welcoming committee.

"This is my daughter Katerina, she is the same age as you are Ash. Katarina this is Ash, his Riolu, and his Mother, Delia. They are our next door neighbors who live right across the street.

Katerina turns her attention to Ash… there's something about him that, draws her to him. She pushes the strange feeling away for now and greets him. "Hello, it's nice to meet you Ash."

Ash smiles, nods and bows, finding himself having the same kind of feelings. However, he also pushes them away until later.

 **"Master wishes you both welcome, as do I."** A girlish voice echoes in Katerina's mind that initially scares her. She looks down to Riolu who nods before continuing. **_"I speak for master by using my aura as a way of communication to you humans. Though it takes a lot of energy to do so."_**

Ash sweetly drops a little and bows, as if to say sorry. "It's… ok, I was just startled a little." As Ash listen to Katerina speak, he finds himself wrapped up in her dialect, it's like nothing he had heard before. And very difficult to place, especially since he has never been outside of Pallet town before. _Where is she from?_ Ash wondered though not intending for Riolu to actually ask.

 ** _"Master wonders where you are from as he has never heard your dialect before."_**

Katerina's cheeks redden and her normally bright eyes become dark, finding it difficult to answer the question She gains a pained look from past memories"Umm… I." Ash waves his hands in front of him with an apologetic expression. **_"Master says that you do not need to answer if you aren't comfortable answering any question, I'm also sorry for asking a personal question."_**

All conversion is stopped as an middle aged man on a bicycle, "Hello! I missed the welcoming I see." The man said as he parked his bike out side. "You must be Mr. Lenn. My name is Prof. Samuel Oak, it's nice to meet you." The Prof. said, having dismounted, and leaned the bike on it's stand. "Hello Professor, good to finally meet you as well, This is my daughter, Katerina. I've been telling you about her on the phone." "Ah yes, nice to meet you too Katerina, I can tell you'll turn out to become a great trainer one day." She blushes a little at the compliment, and bows low in greeting, doing her best to imitate Ash, as per the local custom.

Ash smiles a little, but makes sure Riolu doesn't say anything. Professor looks backwards towards the road behind him as a low rumbling echoed from down the street "oh… I'd best get my bike out of the way." Prof. Oak moves his bike into the front yard just as a small white moving van comes to stop, with the back just next to the driveway. Two men get out of the van and open the back doors, revealing the meagre belongings they brought along.

Two bicycles, several boxes, and pictures are all that is in the van. "Do you need any help with unloading? " Delia asks as the men start working. And before much of a reply could be made, the contents were offloaded and moved into the house.

With the van gone, and all the greetings taken care of, Professor Oak made his way home. Delia crossed the street to hers, having to call to Ash who wrapped up in a conversion with Katarina. "I remember passing a nice looking ranch just outside of town, it would be nice to learn how to ride." ** _"Master knows the ranch, and that they offer riding lessons and he wouldn't mind taking you there if you're fine with it."_** Katerina smiled gleefully at this. "REALLY? You mean it?" Ash nods affirmatively, happy to have made a new friend. "I would love to!"

"Ash, It's time for you to go to bed, the two of you can spend more time together tomorrow." Ash grins and waves to his friend as he walks away.

Elsewhere in town, the boy found in the forest that day begins to stir. Looking around, he finds white plain walls and light green curtains giving way to a window with a view of the bay, with a number of fishing boats making their way out to the open ocean, and a lone ferry making its way into port to offload its passengers. "Kolos los zu'u." he said before shaking his head, "Where am I?"

Next to the bed, is a small table, holding a number of items, amongst which is a card.

* * *

 **Temporary ID card.**

Name- Marth (last name Unknown)

Date of birth- unknown

Region of birth- Unknown

ID#- Temp-3D7

Assigned- 03/31/2001

Expires- 04/31/2001

* * *

The card is plain white with no photo, a red and dark blue stripe running underneath the title.

"ID card" he struggled to sit up as he felt a bit weak. He looked around the room before he suddenly feeling a pain in the back of his head. Instinctively putting a hand on his head, he saw his vision change. It was only for a second, but he saw the dim blue lights on the edges of objects, and he could see some people, which had a brighter glow to them.

A few seconds later, a woman in a doctor's uniform entered the room, and everything turned back to normal. As she walked in, she seemed to be reading some kind of paper, before looking up and smiling softly, though he could see the exhaustion etched in his face. "It's good to see you awake Marth. I was afraid that the damage might have been more extensive, and that you would have been out for another week or month. My name is Doctor Oak, I'm your Doctor, and the doctor for every one else in town." She explained. "Please don't be alarmed if you have trouble remembering, we will be finding out the extent of that tomorrow. Do you have any questions?"

Marth nodded. "How long have I been out?" he asked her. "You have been unconscious for about 6 hours."

He tilted his head. "Really? Because it feels like I haven't eaten in a day." he said. His stomach rumbled loudly to agree with him. He quirks a sheepish grin on his face at the doctor. "You have a mild case of Diarrhea, and probably ate something that your stomach didn't agree with at some point. Hence, why you might also feel a little uncomfortable, in your diapers, Dinner is on it's way, along with a diaper change."

He arched an eyebrow. "Diapers? What the hell are you talking about?" He looked under his covers, only to find the hospital gown he was wearing stretch down to his feet.

"Don't worry, the Diarrhea should only last a couple of days, of greater concern though is your head injury, as well as the matter of family and the rest of your ID card. For your protection, your last ID was destroyed by the police, after retrieving what information they could. The town has sanctioned a temporary ID for you but you will need to get a permanent ID before the same date next month." She explained, doing her best to cover multiple topics without rushing too much. "Any other questions, Marth?"

He frowned. "Is there a Mirror I can look at?" he asked. Furrowing her brows she nodded and took a mirror from a nearby closet, "You are pretty banged up at the moment, your skull was showing through on of the cuts but nothing that shouldn't heal with time, The area has been stitched up, but you're going to need to keep the patch on for a long while." Then she allowed Marth to look at himself at the reflection. He saw the patch but what caught his attention was his own strange eyes. 'Do normal people had blood red eyes and slitted pupils?' he thought to himself. He wasn't sure if the doctor had noticed. If she did, she certainly didn't say anything about it. Doctor Oak promptly left to attend to her other patients.

Marth took the time to think. 'Hmmm... I can't remember anything past the fall. But... I'm certain that I had armor on. I definitely remember having underwear on. But...what was it that I used? Was it a rune?' he decided to save the question for later, as it seemed Diaper changing time was soon upon him.

A nurse entered the room, looking to be in her late teens. "Good evening Marth." She was holding a stack of linen in her hands and a bottle of powder balanced on top.

He groaned inwardly. Well this is going to be one hell of a time. I can't wait to wear my old clothes again.

Elsewhere at home, Ash was restlessly trying to fall asleep. He had enjoyed chatting with Katerina, she was such a joy to be around, especially with that exotic dialect that he simply couldn't lay his finger on. She was a mystery, and he always did enjoy his mysteries.

It never occurred to Ash what tomorrow's date was. 04/02/2001, his birthday. Though in the end, it meant little to Ash, as it was never celebrated anyways. He was just another year older, five years old to be exact and it would be the year he would be starting school, come september. Sleep soon caught up to Ash as he slowly drifted off.

As dawn broke, Ash was excited, rushing downstairs early in the morning at 8:30 (well early for him any way.) He finished his breakfast of toast with cheese and apple juice on the side, Riolu eating chicken breast, and when they were done, they rushed outside to see Katerina, where they would spend the entire day talking, playing, or helping out with what they could. This continued for several days. Though on the second, Delia got a particular phone call.

"Hello?"

 _"Is this Delia Ketchum speaking?"_

"Yes. Who am I speaking to?"

 _"Good afternoon I am Karen Hagley, from the department of Child Services."_

Delia furrowed her brows, puzzled at why would a government agency contact her of all people, her finance though not high, where enough for food, water, and shelter, even some comforts and still be able to pay taxes.

 _"I'm calling to discuss and ask if you're willing to adopt a child who is currently without any known family."_

Delia went blank in the face, not prepared for such a discussion. "Uh… I… I'll have to discuss this with my son as this will affect him as well. I'm interested if my son agrees."

 _"I understand. I'll leave my phone number with you for after you've talked to your son… thank you for your time."_

Delia looked down at the paper. This was certainly unexpected, a new son… what would Ash think of all this?

She left the house and walked across the street to where Ash was playing with Katerina. "Ash, Riolu! I need you two to come home, there's something we need to talk about."

Ash and Riolu turned their attention to their mother. "We're coming Mistress Delia." Riolu said using her aura, curiosity the predominant emotion on her face. Katerina watched as her friends left, feeling slightly sad, but knowing that they would come back soon.

As Riolu and Ash entered the household, Ash removed his shoes and cleaned his hands in the bathroom as his mother had instructed. Then, he found her sitting in the living room couch. "Ash, Riolu, come sit down please." Both did as they were told and Delia took a deep breath, before explaining, "I got a call from the Department of Child Services." Ash gave a confused expression, and a small exhausted smile graced her lips. "They are part of the Government that takes care of children like you and makes sure that they are not abused, or mistreated. Another one of their tasks is to make sure all the children in Kanto have a nice home." Ash nodded, somewhat understanding, "Well, they called me today, offering us a chance to get you a new sibling."

Ash's brown eyes went wide, as uncertainty, fear, trepidation and excitement blossomed deep in his eyes. Despite how well things had gone with Katerina, Ash had a hard time making new friends, and meeting new people. Gary Oak had made sure to keep it that way.

Though now, a person he didn't know just might become his sibling, what are those even like…. **_"Mistress Delia-"_**

* * *

 **AN:**

On behalf of the team (Marth, Lux, and myself.) I would like to thank you for your time and please remember to review, I hope to see you next Chapter wich will be up next week.

Arkilos


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